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CTV News
25 minutes ago
- CTV News
How Manitobans can stay safe from wildfire smoke
Clouds of smoke rise from the Cross Lake community in northern Manitoba. (Raymond Robinson) With many communities under air quality warnings, it's important for Manitobans to stay safe and protect their lungs from wildfire smoke. According to the latest provincial data, there are 123 active wildfires across the province and 310 wildfires so far this year. This year's wildfire season is also on track to be Canada's second worst on record. 'The 2025 season is very aggressive,' said Juliette Mucha from the Manitoba Lung Association in an interview with CTV Morning Live on Thursday. 'But what we're caught off guard with is it started so early this year, so it's lasting a long time.' Mucha said her organization wants to educate Manitobans on how they can best enjoy their summer while also staying protected against the smoke, which has the ability to travel hundreds of kilometres. She emphasized smoke can affect everyone, not just those with health conditions, such as asthma, COPD and pulmonary fibrosis. 'We have one set of lungs, and we need to take care of them,' she said. To stay safe amid a high air quality health index, Mucha recommends that people stay indoors as much as possible, drink plenty of water, and wear an N95 mask when going outside. She also recommends closing windows and doors at home, putting your air conditioner on recirculation mode, and using an air purifier with a HEPA filter. 'I encourage everyone, we have a lot of Manitoba events happening; enjoy, but take precautions,' she said.
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Houston says province will use new powers to overturn Halifax bike lane decision
The premier of Nova Scotia says his government will use a new bill to overturn Halifax council's decision on a local bike lane if councillors do not reverse the move, citing public safety and economic concerns. On Wednesday evening, Premier Tim Houston posted a letter to social media addressed to Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore, regional councillors and chief administrative officer Cathie O'Toole. Houston said he had great concerns about council's vote last Tuesday to move ahead with a bike lane design for Morris Street that would eliminate a vehicle lane and make the stretch one-way for car traffic. "To say that I find it disappointing that public safety and economic impact concerns have been dismissed with a simple shrug of the shoulders would be a serious understatement," Houston wrote. Houston said he remains hopeful that "common sense will prevail," and asked council to reverse their decision by Aug. 6. If that does not happen, Houston said "the provincial government will be forced to act" and use Bill 24 for the first time. The bill was passed this spring but not proclaimed, and allows the public works minister to override decisions by municipal councils related to transportation. Halifax council debated the Morris Street design for more than an hour and a half last Tuesday, and asked municipal transportation planning staff multiple questions. Many councillors said the chosen design of a two-way bike lane on Morris was the best option for cyclists in an east-west connection across the peninsula that kept most of the parking spaces and mature trees intact. The premier wrote that the move will "contribute to traffic congestion, create unnecessary public safety risks and potentially jeopardize port activity." Houston said serious attention should be paid to a recent letter from Emergency Medical Care Inc. (EMCI) raising concerns about emergency services in the area. Ambulance service warns of potential delays EMCI, which operates the provincial government's Emergency Health Services division including ground ambulance, TeleCare, and air medical transport operations, sent the letter to Fillmore, Houston and other councillors and the provincial health minister on Wednesday. "Our first responders on and around the peninsula are facing increasing challenges due to increasing traffic congestion and call volume. This directly impacts on our ability to efficiently provide pre-hospital care, particularly in time-sensitive situations where every minute counts," wrote Matthew Crossman, chief operating officer for EMCI. Crossman said turning Morris into a one-way street could have "unintended consequences" for emergency health services. Emergency vehicles may need to be rerouted, leading to delays in reaching the scene of an accident or a hospital. Since January, Crossman said about 22,000 calls have occurred in the area with most vehicles using Morris Street. However, the "full scope of traffic impact," especially during peak hours, remains unclear without further study by the municipality, he said. A municipal traffic analysis has found the change would increase congestion and delay at two intersections without stoplights at Barrington and South streets as well as Spring Garden Road and Brunswick Street. Vehicles would be diverted to adjacent roads, which are residential streets that "may not be appropriate for increased traffic volumes," the report said. In his letter, Houston referenced concerns from Halifax's Port Authority and PSA Halifax, which operates the south-end container terminal, who have told the city they were worried about impacts to their operations. "Simply put, it is irresponsible to prioritize bike lanes over a key economic driver for the province, which is exactly what the port is," Houston said. Port, container terminal operator say alternative option not ideal Trucks leaving the south-end container terminal now take Morris Street as a secondary route when Lower Water Street is not available, a staff report said. But after consulting the port and the trucking industry, the municipality suggested an alternative option using Terminal Road, Hollis Street, Barrington, Inglis and Robie streets to replace Morris as that secondary route. However, a June 19 letter from the Halifax Port Authority said that alternative option involves "many more turns" and narrow streets compared to Morris, sending trucks by residential homes, schools and Saint Mary's University. "This presents added risks and operational complexity for both drivers, residents and students," wrote Jonathan Chia, deputy managing director for PSA Halifax, in a letter on June 20 to Halifax staff. A Halifax staff report has noted that the planned rail shuttle solution between the south-end and Fairview Cove container terminals is expected to shift 75 per cent of port-related container traffic out of the downtown area and onto rail by the end of 2027. "This will significantly reduce the number of port-related trucks using Lower Water Street, Morris Street, and other truck routes in the area," the report said. Halifax council's next regular meeting is scheduled for Aug. 5.
Cision Canada
2 hours ago
- Cision Canada
Ontario Brain Institute Announces $552K in Support of Community Organizations Français
TORONTO, July 17, 2025 /CNW/ - The Ontario Brain Institute (OBI) is pleased to announce $552,000 in funding to support four community organizations advancing brain health and wellness across the province. This commitment comes as part of the Growing Expertise in Evaluation and Knowledge Translation (GEEK) program. "Each of these organizations brings a deep understanding of the communities they serve," said Dr. Tom Mikkelsen, President and Scientific Director of OBI. "Through GEEK, we're proud to support programs that build capacity, align program delivery with care needs, and create long-term impact for people living with neurological conditions." Now in its seventh year, the GEEK program offers evaluation expertise, support, and funding to community-led programs and services focused on brain health or people managing brain disorders. GEEK is a unique model of funding in that it improves evidence-informed care close to home while centering the role of community in healthcare. The 2025 OBI 'GEEKs' are: Brain Injury Association of Peel and Halton (BIAPH): BIAPH is a community-led charity dedicated to enhancing quality of life for individuals with acquired brain injuries (ABI) and their caregivers in the Peel and Halton regions. The ABI Support Group program serves over 200 participants annually through structured meetings, both in-person and virtual, for survivors and caregivers. The program provides peer-to-peer support, resource sharing, workshops, and expert guidance to reduce isolation and build coping skills for managing the long-term challenges of brain injury. Alongside its community programs, BIAPH also engages in research to improve services and amplify the voices of those affected by brain injury. The Grove Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario – Wellington Guelph: The Grove is a network providing integrated mental health, substance use and community services. The program serves youth ages 12–26 across Wellington County and Guelph through seven interconnected sites offering both clinical and non-clinical services. Their non-clinical service pathways include Skills & Wellbeing Activities and Community & Social Support Services including drop-in services, outreach, family support, education, employment, and housing. These non-clinical services often serve as youth's first entry point to more intensive support, emphasizing early intervention and primary prevention in a safe, accessible environment. Keep Your Head Up Foundation: Keep Your Head Up is a registered Canadian charity in Region of Waterloo focused on supporting youth with traumatic brain injuries through education, empowerment, and social connection. The Community Education program takes an upstream prevention approach by teaching youth about the holistic impacts of concussion on wellbeing, including invisible symptoms like social pressures, mental health impacts, learning difficulties, and recovery challenges. The program aims to reduce the long-term challenges to wellbeing by reducing stigma, improve recognition of concussion effects, and increase awareness of available supports like academic accommodations and mental wellness resources. LOFT Community Services: LOFT is a non-profit organization providing holistic multi-service supports to transitional-aged youth, adults, and seniors and older adults facing complex health challenges that may involve a combination of mental health, addiction, poverty, and homelessness concerns. The Culture and Calm program is a culturally-responsive Dialectical Behaviour Therapy initiative specifically designed for BIPOC youth ages 16–29 in the Greater Toronto Area. This 10-week virtual program teaches emotion regulation skills through a cultural lens, examining how systems of oppression influence mental health while providing a safer therapeutic space for marginalized youth. "Ontario is home to exceptional researchers that drive groundbreaking innovation all across the province," said the Honourable Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. "Our government is proud to support the Ontario Brain Institute and commend their Growing Expertise in Evaluation and Knowledge Translation (GEEK) funding recipients that are advancing brain health and wellness in their communities." Since launching GEEK in 2018, OBI has committed approximately three million dollars to support 24 community-led programs in evaluating and generating evidence for their programming. Collectively, GEEK teams have trained and supported over 3,600 individuals, shared or presented knowledge gained from their programs more than 122 times in various formats, and leveraged close to $6.5M in additional funding. ABOUT: The Ontario Brain Institute is a provincially funded, not-for-profit organization that accelerates neuroscience discovery and innovation, benefiting both patients and the economy. Our collaborative 'team science' approach promotes brain research, commercialization and care by connecting researchers, clinicians, industry, patients, and their advocates to improve the lives of those living with brain disorders. Visit for more information.
